Yesterday's celebration of the 100-year anniverary of the National Wildlife
Refuge system (14 March 1903, Pelican Island, Florida, est. by Teddy
Roosevelt) was great fun at Eastern Shore of Virginia NWR. A time capsule
was prepared by all the organizations that deal with natural history and
cultural history on the lower Shore, and much birthday cake was eaten amid
the speeches. Though birds were elusive on the walk after the ceremonies (a
few Green-winged Teal flew by, and a Black Rat Snake was in the Winslow
Bunker), the southern tip is starting to see more and more birds returning
from wintering areas.
Bonaparte's Gulls and Northern Gannets are more numerous up the Bay,
including off Cape Charles, where they were joined by the first three
black-headed Laughing Gulls of the season here yesterday morning. Both
Red-throated and Common Loons (including some in breeding plumage of the
latter) are becoming more numerous, and Horned Grebes, mostly in winter dress
(with a few starting to change), have been present for over a week in some
numbers (up to 60) off Cape Charles harbor, where hundreds of scoters and
dozens of Long-tailed Ducks appear to be making flights to the north.
Forster's Terns, present for about 2 weeks now around Cape Charles, are
beginning to increase in number, as are Brown Pelicans. A few Tree Swallows
have turned up at the Eastern Shore of Virginia NWR, and the first Piping
Plover was found last Friday at Fisherman Island NWR, where American
Oystercatchers are courting in earnest and up to 1000 Brant are massing,
according to refuge personnel. American Robins are in farm fields by the
hundreds. These species often just drop down into North Carolina for a few
months and are not especially long-distance migrants. Also yesterday, small
flocks of American Pipits and Chipping Sparrows suggested a return of numbers
of those species (along Rte 600). The Eurasian Collared-Doves have set up
shop and are courting at the same intersection (600 x 645) east of Kiptopeke
State Park, and Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks are displaying at many
woodlots along 600. Spring Peepers and Southern Leopard Frogs are singing
away.
Today, Tom Saunders noted the first apparent warbler migrants, Palm Warblers,
at the BayCreek Golf Course, and soon we should see the first Wilson's Snipe,
American Bittern, and Royal Tern returning northward, followed by various
herons, egrets, and night-herons, then by sparrows and swallows. The most
recent Red-necked Grebe sighting is from the CBBT, Island 3, on Sunday.
Ned Brinkley
Cape Charles, VA
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